Bleed-hole-regulating device.



J'. SGHWERTNER.

BLEED HOLE BEGULATING DEVICE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED ulm, 191s.

1,107,85 1 Patented Aug. 1s, 1914 ff/AM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH SGHWERTNER, OF NEW YORK, Jbl. Y., ASSIGNGR TO EEERAGEN CMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YRK.

BLEED-HOLE-REGUVLATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application led April. l, 1813. Serial No. 758,110.

To cH whom, 'it '7n/111,1 concern Be it known that I, J osErH SCHWERTNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, county of New York7 and State of .New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bleed- Hole-IegulatingDevices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic apparatus, and more especially to a device such as shown in reissued Letters Patent of the United States, No. 13384, March 1Q, 1912.

In self playing pianos it is customary to provide a pneumatic device for operating each action unit and a tracker board and sheet with apertures corresponding to the or more controlling pneumatics for controlling the action of the operating pneumatics` responsive to the operation and particular design of the note sheet. In most instances these intermediate pncumatics are controlled and operated by means of suction or a partial vacuum produced by suitable bellows. In organs the action is similar cxcept that it is usual to operate the various devices by wind pressure, that is, by blowing action rather than by suction. In both instances, lmwever. it is usual to provide pneumatic actions with an operating membrane and with a bleed holeleading to one side of the membrane in order to allow of an equalization of' pressure on that side of the membrane when it is desired to close a valve. In said reissued Letters Patent No. 1338-1. a device is described by which such bleed holes will be automatically cleaned and by which the eli'ective cross section of the bleed hole will be varied to render the actions more sensitive. The apparatus herein ,similarly acts to clean and vary the cross section of the bleed hole, but in the arrangement of said reissued Letters Patent when the membrane is operated the effective cross section of the bleed hole remains increased until the action is returned to its normal position, while in the present invention I provide an arrangement which acts to substantially close the bleed hole at both of the extreme positions of the operating membrane of the action, or when the action is at both of itsI rest positions.

Further features and advantages will more iaceut thereto, showing the operating membrane in its lower rest position; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the membrane in midposition; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the membrane in its upper rest position; i'fig. 5 is a detail section illustrating a modiical'ion of the bleed hole regulating device: Fig. i3 a section through the spindle of Fig. 5; llig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating a t'urther modification, and s a section through the spindle shown 1u Fig. 7.

leterrii'xg to Figs. l to l, 1 represents a power pneumatic adapted to be exhausted through the pz 15552. 3 is a port leading from the passage to the outside atmospliere. le reprcsents a chamber in which is luifated the ii'i, .nh1:lne 5 of the pneumatic action. The chamber 4. connected to the passage Q b v way of a port (3 and a valve is adapted to close either 'the port 3 or port end of the stlul S is rut away as at 12 to freely accommodate the upper end oi' the spindle. lzl represents a wind trunk through which the chamber' 4 above the membrane 5 is adapted to be exhausted by means of a passage 1i. A port 15 leads from the space beneath the membrane 5 tovard the Wind trunk 13, the lower end of the port being covered by a metal plate 16 except at the center where a bleed hole 17 extends through the plate 1G through which the air may be exhausted from the under side of the meinbrane 5 when the membrane 5 and valve 7 are returned to their normal position.

The parts so far described operate in a manner that will be readily raider-stood by those skilled in the art. Air being admitted through the passage 18 (Fig. l) Vunder atmospheric pressure and the chamber l being The valve 7 carries rigidly under constant suction by its connection with the wind trunk 13, the membrane 5 will be forced upwardly carrying with it soindle ll and washer l0. rEhe washer l will impinge upon the bottom of the stud 8 and thereby raise the valve 7 so as to close the port 3 and open the port- 6, whereupon the pneumatic l is exhausted through the passage 2, port t3, etc., to cause one of the piano strings to be struck in a well known manu-er. The spindle ll is cut away at i9 where the spindle operates in the bleed hole l?, andwhen the inem' ine is in its extreme lower position or lo\ e position of rest, as shown in i? 2, the bleed hole is substantially closed by that part et the saindle above the cut away portion. Ylili/*lien the pneumatic action is in its upper extreme position ot' rest, as shown in Fig. 4l, the bleed holeis substantially closed by that portion otx the spindle below the cut away portion, and when the membrane is in mid position, as shown in 3, the bleed hole is materially opened or its etiective cross section is nialerially increased by means oit the cut away pmt-ions l), which extend iter a greater distance than the thickness of the plate 1C.

li will be uiulerstood that while the bleed hole is sul'istantially closed when the action is either in upper or lower position et rest, nevertheless, there' is sntiicient leal;H about the uncut-away part of the spindle to give the membrane a downward movement when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 4l, and the atmospheric pressure shut oilY lroin Jthe passage 1.8. A slight downwai movement of the meinbrane, due to this leakage, soon brings 'the spindle down where it greatly opens the bleed hole, as simwu in Fig. il. wln-freiuiion the air is quickly exhausted from beneath the membrane 5 through the bleed hole 17, and the parts quickly returned to their normal position of rest, and during1 the latter part ot this movement the bleed hole is substantially closed by the uncuteaway part olf' spindle abou;- tae cut-away portion. as wn in lfigg. :2. lt will thusl be seen that there is practically no loss ot air through the bleed hoh; when the action is in either ot its positions ot rest, but the bleed hole is only materially opened at the time when it is desired to exhaust. a material volume ot air therethrough, thereby making a great saying in power. and at the same time getting; quiclaction oi"- the parte' and making;D the device very sensitive.

Figs. 5, b, 7 and 8 show two more oi' the various methods by which the spindle 1l may be cut away where it operates in the bleed hole.

The bleed hole will be automatically cleaned by the ifaees 2O pushing dust and dirt therethrough.

Many modifications and changes may be made in the arrangements shown without departing from the spirit and scope ot my invention and l, therefore, do not desire to be limited to the details shown and described except as clearly specilied in the appended claims.

Having` fully and clearly described my improvements, what l claimA as new and desire to secure by Letters 'Pate/ziy i' the lilnited States, is:

l. ln a device ot the class described, a pneumatieally operating; membrane or diaphragm, a bleed hole therefor, and means to substantially close the bleed hole when the mcmbrance is at either ot its extreme positions and to materially open the bleed hole when the membrane is intermediate its extreme positions.

ln a device ot' the class described, a pneun'iatic action havingy a bleed hole, and means :tor increasing the e'lteetive (moss-set tion of the bleed hole when the action, is operated pueuinatically, and substantially closing; the bleed hole when the action is at rest in both oit positions.

3. ln a device ot the class described, a pneumatic action having' ay bleed hole and a` spindle operatirp; in the blicd hole and controlled by the pneun'iatic action. said spin` die beine; out away at the part operating in the bleed hole to increase the el'ective cross section of vthe bleed hole when the aetion operates, the spindle above and below the cut-away portion acting` to substantially close the bleed hole whenithe action is at rest in both et its rest positions.

il. ln a device ot the class described, a piieumatically oirieratinn membrane, a bleed hole through which the air on one side of said membrane may be exh austed, and a spindle connected to said membrane and operated thereby and w iin the bleed hole, said `spindh being` cut away at the part operatingg in. the b.. ed hole to increase thc ettective cross section ot the bleed hole when thel action operates, the spindle above and below the eut away portion act-ing to substantially close the bleed hole when the action is at rest in both of its rest positions.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my naine to this specification, in the presence o't two subscribing` witnesses. y

JOSEPH SCH lVlBR-Tllll TWitnesses Gonrn'iir Cnosnr, EDWIN Snom.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

